Method and apparatus for producing a variegated plastic sheet



T. J. MELL oct. 8, 1929.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROD'UGING `A VARIEGATED PLAsTI'c SHEET FiledDec. 29, 1927 l W Mlm f Patented' oct. 8,1929

"UNITED STAT-as ATE-'NT lron J. HELL, or

Anon, oriIo, As'sreNon Yoan, N, Y., A coaPonAfrIoN or Navvyonx 1 'ro`'man B. r. eoonrcn COMPANY, or NEW application med December 2s, 1927.'serial Nb. amate.

This invent-ion relates to methods 'and apparatus for producing' avariegated sheet of plastic stock such as arubben composition', forexample, and is especiallyfvaiuable in; producing a sheet adapted to besliced into a plurality of thinner sheets, either before or aftervulcanization, as described in myl United States Patent No. 1,588,797,grantedJ une 15, 1926.

The chief objects of thepresent invention are to provide a sheetcompri'sing'stocks of different colors mixed in a manner such as' togive a pleasing or otherwise distinctive color design upon the surfacesof the thinner 15 to provide convenient and economical procedure andapparatus for' feeding acalender -in such manneras to producea sheet ofdesired characteristics. 2o

Of the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a plan v iew of apparatusembodying and adapted to carry out my invention in its preferred form. lFig. 2 is a longitudinal, vertical section of v the same.

Referring to the drawings, the apparatus comprises a calender 10 and two'extruding machines 11, 12 mounted withntheirdelivery nozzles closetogether, the machine 11 being provided with a die adapted to deliver -aplu.- rality of strips of stock 13,13 and the machine 12 being adaptedto deliver la plurality ofistrips of stock 14, 14, which may be of adifferent color or colors l'colors of the strips 13.

. Means comprising an endless-belt' conveyor 15 .is provided for feedingthe two sets of strips to the calender, over a table member. l' 15, andrespective endless-belt .conveyors 16, 17 are provided for receiving thesets ofstrips from the extruding machines andy delivering them onto theconveyor 15. u Preferably provislon is madefor automati- A callyassociating the two sets Vof strips with 4 5 each other in determinate,nonparallel 'relation in passing them onto the .conveyor 15, as bymounting the conveyor 17 in fixed relation to the conveyor 15 andmounting the conveyor 16 upon a frame 18 pivoted upon the .5 upper endof a vertical drive shaft 19 near the For oscillating the conveyor'l16to cause the sheets slicedfrom the thick stock sheet; and

from the .color or extruding machine 11 and'ge'ared to the ad-" jacentend roll of the conveyor 16 andsup 5 -portmg the other end of the frame18 from" an arcuate over-head track 20 concentric with the v'shaft 19.

strips 13 to assume a sinuous form upon the straight strips 14 carriedupon the conveyor 15 the frame 18 is connected by a link 21 with a crank22, provided with different crank-pin .60 holes 23, 23 and secured uponlthe upper end of a vertical shaftY 24 having connection 1 through areduction gear S25 with a drive motor 26.

duce a variegated sheet stocks of 'different coli ors are passed throughthe vextruding machines 11 and 12, respectively, the resulting 75 strips13 and 1 4 being delivered onto the respective conveyors 16 and 17 andpassed by -them onto-theconveyor 15, where the strips i' 13 are receivedon top ofthe strips 14. The

'oscillation of the conveyor 16 causes the strips 8o 13 to assume adeterminate sinuous form, and

i two associated sets of strips are deliveredto the calender'lOby'theconveyor 15 in determinate association. V' The extruding machines andconveyors lpreferably are run .in such ..time d1'felation to thespeed=of the calender as -to avoid an excessively large bank of stock inthe calenderfsuch as would result ina very thoroughinterminglng of thetwo stpgks and spoil the designefect ofthe determi 'te association ofthe" sets of.strips. y In consequence of h 'e manner` in wl1ich thestocks are fed` Tinto 7 the calender the stock sheet30 issuing from thecalender has mixed- 95 color characteristics which do. not greatlyvaryalong the sheet and which to some extent are regular and determinatebut 'which nevertheless have a considerable element of chancearrangement, as in-th'eca'se of marbling and, 100

' The drive for the conveyor' 17 comprises a '65v wood-graining effects,which may be obtained by the' practice of this invention. D

A sheet of desirable colorcliaracteristics is/ thus obtained and vvitheconomy of labor and facilit and uniformity of.operation.

Varlations of color effects and of design may be had by feeding the twosets of strips vto the calender at different temperatures.

' strips, and progressively uniting the strips in asheet by lrollingpressure as they arey formed.4 Y

2. The method of producing a variegated sheet of plastic material whichcomprises simultaneously forming strips of dierent colors by extrusionof the material, continuously feeding into non-parallel` associationwith each other at least some of the stri s as they are soformed, andpro ressively s eeting the stock of the associate strips.

3.'The method of producing a sheet ofplastic material which compriseslongitudinally feedin 'a set of strips of plasticmaterial While eedingthereonto in determinate non-parallel relation thereto a second set of'strips of plastic material having different color'characteristics fromthose of the first set,\and progressively sheeting the stock of thecombined sets of strips.

4. Apparatus ,for producing-a sheet of plastic material thesaidapparatus comprising a pair lof s eeting'rolls and means forsimultaneously feeding a plurality of strips of plastic stock to saidrolls, and means for forming at least one of the'strips in ,sinuous'curves and disposing it in that form in con. tact with the other strips.

., 5. Apparatus for4 producing a sheet ofy plastic material, the'saidapparatus comprising a pair of sheeting rolls, means for simultaneouslyforming al plurality of continuous strips of plastic material byextrusion, means for continuouslyl feeding, the strips from the formingmeans l to the 'sheeting rolls, and

continuously delivering strips of plastic stock.

thereto, a plurality of .extruding machines for formi-ng the strips, andrespective conveyors for delivering the strips from'the ex'trudingmachines onto the first said conveyor, and means for passing strips fromthe extruding machines onto the conveyor in non-parallel relation toeach other.-

8. The method of producing a variegated sheet of Aplastic material.which comprises simultaneously feeding a plurality of continuous strips,of material of different colors and at different temperatures into amass While constantly varying their relationship to.each other, and at.the same time sheeting tout vstock fromthe mass by rolling pressure.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 23rd day ofDecember, 1927.

TOD J. MELL.

means associated With the extruding means l for disposing some of thestrips in sinuous formnin contact with the other stripsvvhile they arebeing fed to the` sheeting rolls.

6. Apparatus for producing a sheet of plastic material, the'saidapparatus compris* ing a pair of sheeting rolls, means for simultaneouslp forming a plurality of continuous strips o plastic-material byextrusion and -means for continuously feeding the strips .fromtheforming means tothe sheetingr rolls and for associating one stripwith another in

